


Love on the Battlefield

by ReaperQueen



Category: XCOM (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bradford representing the whole fandom, Elena being badass, Elena vs the Assassin, F/M, Gen, Mox and Elena being couple goals, The Assassin not taking shit and being badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 01:52:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19347145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaperQueen/pseuds/ReaperQueen
Summary: When the Assassin almost captures Mox, Elena has to put her life on the line for his sake. (Just. Moxrider.)





	Love on the Battlefield

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write some Moxrider and my little drabble turned into a small fic. Very cliche plot? Maybe? I don't know, I am a sucker for one fo them getting hurt and the other one being ready to wage war in their name.

When the Assassin emerged from the shadows right in front of him, Mox didn’t even have time to react. Swift and agile beyond any standards, she drew the sword and slashed his chest in a matter of mere seconds. The cut was deep and precise. If it wasn’t for the heavy layer of armor, provided by XCOM, he would have died instantly. The Bullpup flew away, as Mox staggered and fell to the knees, coughing up blood.

“Time has come to pay for all your undoing’s against the Elders, traitor,” the Assassin snarled viciously, having clutched his fur collar with a hand. Mox only gritted the teeth as she lifted his body in the air. “I shall take you with me and give you the punishment you deserve for turning against your own masters. Granting you an easy death would be far too merciful.”

Mox attempted to lunge forward with a ripjack, aiming for the unprotected face, yet his attack was blocked with matchless ease. For the Assassin all his actions were way too predictable: he was loud, careless and inelegant. Much like her own brother.

“Your tricks will not be of help to you,” she grinned and then knocked Mox out by a single movement of her palm. She did not plan to kill him… yet.

However, the next second a hail of bullets whizzed in the air and the Assassin was forced to abandon the Skirmisher in order to deflect the attack. Mox fell on the ground like a motionless doll, vivid red spilling from the blade wound.

“You are not the only one capable of hiding well in the shadows,” Elena spit, dashing towards the Assassin and keeping up with shooting. It was the only way she could ever hope to approach her and not end up cut in half. She had to live long enough for the others to catch up and provide the covering fire.

She wasn’t planning to lose another partner of hers to those darn freaks.

“Don’t think I will allow you to distract me, Reaper.”  
  
The Assassin drew the legs back and jumped, spinning in the air while her sword acted like a shield. The bullets clanked against the cold metal. Elena cursed under her breath, having lunged forward just in time not to get her arm chopped off by a dagger. It stuck in the soil just a few centimeters away from her previous position. The Assassin landed and quickly advanced towards her opponent; lips curled into an angry scowl.

Elena threw the rifle away, took out a small pocketknife and messily blocked the powerful strike. The knife cracked and split in half.

The Assassin smirked, feeling her supremacy. Such a laughable weapon was nothing against her delicate katana, gifted by the Elders.

Elena staggered, bending almost to the earth level to avoid a deadly lunge.

“Too weak,” the Assassin hissed and knocked her off her feet by a rapid hit of her left leg. Elena yelped, yet managed to roll to the side almost instantly. It was bad. Her chances of survival were getting slimmer by each second. The Assassin grabbed Elena by the throat and slapped against the surface with a brute force. Elena moaned, feeling the breath leave her chest and mind go blank from the impact. She clutched the Assassin’s fingers, trying to loosen up her grip, yet her struggles were futile.

“My brother would love having you to himself, but I cannot allow you to stand between me and my duty.”

She didn’t have time to play around like Dhai IL or spit out long monologues like Jax Hur. There was only her task, and she planned to complete it by any means. She drew her sword, spun the handle in the palm and aimed for a lethal point.

Pink smoke emerged out of nowhere and the Assassin growled, closing her eyes. Her focus swayed and the blade only grazed Elena’s side. Tch. What a low move. 

Elena took the chance and kicked the Assassin in the unprotected face, exploiting her confusion. The hold on her throat weakened, and Elena gasped, inhaling some air. She forcefully removed the Assassin’s fingers and hopped on her feet.

“I won’t let you escape,” the Assassin spat, reaching with her long arm to drag the Reaper back. To think she allowed herself to be distracted by this. A magnetic beam hit her palm, and the Assassin hissed, jolting to the side and turning her attention to the shooter. Her purple eyes narrowed, as she took notice of two snipers and two rangers pointing barrels at her. In the next moment, she was forced to move and parry four attacks simultaneously.

Elena ran with all she had, using the provided opening. She heard gunshots beginning to erupt from all sides and was thankful they made it on time. Good. She could rescue Mox now that the Assassin no longer presented a threat to her.

With a corner of the eye, Elena noticed the barrel of her rifle sticking out of the grass. She leaned down in motion to grab it and hang over the shoulder. It needed reloading, and Elena took a few seconds to do so. Just in case. One can’t be too careful when fighting aliens.

Thankfully, Mox was still laying in the same spot. Elena felt relief washing over her, as she dropped herself next to him and started rummaging through her pockets. She had to find a first aid kit Lily had given her before the mission.

_“It would be best to have you carry it. You are the one most likely to survive.”_

Elena knew why her hands trembled so darn much while she was spraying the healing mist over Mox. As much as she wanted to stay tough, the probability of losing him caused her too much distress. Falling in love with Mox was the last thing Elena expected to happen when she allied her forces with him on that day and yet he became one of the dearest people to her.

The dangerous bleeding ceased, and Elena allowed herself to relax. For a short while.

“Глупый…” (1) she murmured to herself and gently dragged a palm down his cheek. His skin felt much hotter than hers. For a second, she wondered how good his embraces would have been in the harsh winters of her homeland.

Elena leaned down and brushed the lips against his, conveying feelings she usually was too stubborn to display. “Ещё раз такое выкинешь, и я прибью тебя самолично.” (2)

“Outrider, behind you!” came a voice crackling on her radio.

Elena jolted, turning around to face an ADVENT squad coming out of the corner with the magnetic rifles aimed right at her. Damn it. She allowed herself a moment of weakness and those bastards were already at her tail.

A series of quick shots followed. Elena jumped forward and rolled, avoiding the fire to the best of her abilities. Thankfully, ADVENT’s aim was lacking and didn’t hit nor her, nor Mox.

A cloud of smoke rose from the burnt grass and wooden fence.

The Officer blabbed something, and his fellow soldiers began advancing, weapons raised and ready to be used again. Yet when of them dropped dead, the squad halted and started looking around frantically. Elena smirked. V never disappointed.

Having grabbed the last Claymore, she activated it with one click and tossed towards ADVENT. One second passed, and the aliens blew up in a deafening blast. Parts of their bodies flew in the air and fell around the area like some rubbish.

Elena wiped her forehead and turned on the radio channel.

“Central, what the hell? I thought you confirmed that there were no more of those… those damn ADVENT shitheads,” she jeered.

“It appears the Assassin summoned those. The Commander says she most likely called upon them to take care of you and still capture Pratal Mox.”

“Next time try not to wait until they try to murder me,” Elena tutted. “I didn’t halt this monster to die from some useless ADVENT grunt.”

She was getting frustrated with this mission already. Too much was going against the plan and now they had to force the Assassin to flee, extract the data and bring Mox to the EVAC point. All while trying not to die.

“I will send someone over to cover you, Outrider,” Central coughed, voice apologetic. “Our people are still trying to keep that damn thing busy.”

Elena mumbled an angry _you better_ , stood up and went over to Mox, who was lucky enough not to get shot. The wound on his chest now looked much better, but Elena still wasn’t sure it wouldn’t open if she carried him herself.

 “How is he?”

Elena turned around to face V dashing towards her position with a pistol in hand. She looked concerned and exhausted; her long hair almost glued to the forehead. 

“He will live. Weren’t you supposed to be with the others?” Elena asked, surprised Bradford sent a sniper.

V drew a long breath and took a glance at the intense battle between the Assassin and the remaining XCOM forces.

“Three of them is more than enough to halt her. I came to help and cover you in case more ADVENT arrives,” V kneeled next to Elena, holstered the pistol and wrapped one of Mox’s arm around her neck. “Let’s bring him to the EVAC zone.”

Elena nodded and did the same, groaning as the wound on her hip hit her with extreme pain. She only now noticed blood flowing down her thigh in a narrow stream. But she didn’t care. Mox… was far more important than that.

“It is far ahead on the roof of the café,” Elena noted, taking the lead. “There shouldn’t be any more ADVENT forces unless she decides to throw more at us.”

\------

Mox's body twitched, followed by a low groan when they were almost halfway there, and Elena signed V to put him on the ground. Elena cupped Mox's cheek, slightly clapping it to bring him out of a daze the moment his back hit the solid surface. 

“C’ mon big boy, wake up,” she addressed him in a loud, ringing voice.

Mox let out a grunt and grimaced, his senses and vision returning to him. His head was dizzy, the mouth was filled with a taste of blood and his chest still burnt. Something you would expect after almost being sent to your grave by the Chosen. Mox didn’t know whether he was captured or not but found no strength to resist whoever was shaking his shoulder and slapping the cheek.

“Where- Where am I?”

He half expected the Assassin to speak or maybe an ADVENT soldier to appear in front of his eyes. It was hard to recognize anything. 

“You are safe. This thing didn’t take you,” Elena leaned over, her hand still on his face. “We are taking you to the Avenger.”

Mox squinted, attempting to grasp the information. That voice… was familiar. A voice of someone precious to him. Was it really her?

“Outrider? Is- Is that actually you?” Mox coughed, focusing his vision to the best of his abilities. “Vox Prima didn’t take me away?”

Finally, he could distinguish Elena’s features: her quirked eyebrows, tenderly looking eyes and lips curved into a faint smirk.

“Yes, that’s me, see?” she took off the hood and brought his palm to her face. “Alive and breathing. And no, I saved you before she did that.”

V threw a quick glance at them and stood up with a smile. She should allow them to have their moment. Having taken out the gun, she reloaded it and scurried back to the squad. Elena didn’t even acknowledge that, too consumed by Mox.

“You willingly risked your life to save me?” Mox whispered huskily, sliding the hand down her face.

He attempted to stand up, yet barely found the strength to rise his upper body.

“Shh, easy now, Mox, you are still not in the best shape,” Elena fussed, wrapping an arm around his broad back. “Of course, I saved you, silly, you are my partner. You would do the same for me, wouldn’t you?”

Mox leaned on her, his breath shaky and intermittent. Happiness and genuine thankfulness filled his heart at her words. Elena was one of a kind. He couldn’t imagine anyone but her as his partner, as his friend, and as his… as his possible mate. _(It was complicated)_

“I would. I would die for you without hesitation.”

A hot wave surged through Elena’s body. He was so… so darn romantic sometimes, Elena couldn’t help but catch herself acting like a teenager in love.

“I won’t let you die, you get that?” she warned, voice laced with gentleness. “At least, not until you finally gather the courage to ask me out properly.”

How did she-? 

Though, maybe that was obvious: even Bradford commented about his attraction to her on multiple occasions.

Mox laughed and then looked at her, bashful. He was bad at all this: human feelings, human love, everything that he was denied off during his slavery to the Elders. Around her he turned into a total mess.

“Uh, I- Um, I’d love to—No, wait, that’s not…”

Elena playfully rolled her eyes and kissed him. Mox froze, unsure what to even do. It wasn’t a gesture he knew; it wasn’t a gesture he understood, but… but he liked the pleasant sensation. Mox attempted to mimic her actions, but the lack of experience and confusion played their role, and their first actual kiss was far from the best. Yet Elena didn’t mind that.

When she pulled away and pressed the forehead against his own, Mox hesitatingly embraced her. The wound still stung, but the pain was almost dull compared to the emotions she triggered.

“When we get back, I will teach you how to kiss. This was awful,” Elena chuckled and Mox understood she was, how was that word? Teasing? Yes, teasing.

“I would… love that. It felt good.”

Mox noticed a faint blush appear on Elena’s cheeks. Somehow, it made her look much younger and cuter.

“So, um, does it mean you accept me as your mate?” Mox asked, still not sure what exactly that lip locking was meant to convey.

“For a mind so brilliant for tactical missions you are bad at catching hints,” Elena sighed. “Yes, Mox, I accept you as my mate, even if I would have preferred to call you my boyfriend.”

Mox caught himself grinning. “I am happy to know that.”

When faint noises of applauding caught her ears, Elena jolted, soon realizing it came from her radio. Wait, did she forget to turn off the communication channel?

Elena’s face reddened from embarrassment. It meant the entirety of XCOM staff had just heard everything. Not to mention, the actual footage of them making out.

When Mox tried to speak, Elena signed him to stay quiet as she brought the radio to her ear.

 _“Finally!”_  
“Don’t scream so loudly or they could hear us.”  
“I don’t care, Mike now owns me 20 bucks.”  
“Hey, why?”  
“I said they would kiss before the mission ends, and you said they would when get back to the base.”  
“But they will when they get back!”  
“Doesn’t matter. Mine happened first.”  
“Now, kids, easy, easy. We all are glad they finally admitted what was obvious, but don’t start fighting.”

Elena’s brow twitched.  
  
“You all had the audacity-” she began, voice trembling. “Central, what are you, ten? You have nothing better to do, like maybe watch the Assassin that is still trying to kill us, rather than stick your nose in other people’s relationships?”

The staff immediately went quiet, as Bradford coughed and scratched the back of his neck.

“Sorry, Outrider, but we are not at fault you both decided to get down to it while still on the mission. It is our job to see everything. But don’t worry, I won’t tell Volk about it.”

Elena’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t **_even dare_** , Bradford. I don’t want him barging into here half-drunk and demanding a battle with Mox.”

If Volk found out she was with him, it could even end up in an attempted murder.

“Why would he do such a thing?” Mox chimed in, confused.

“Because he still is prejudiced when it comes to Skirmishers and because he views me like his daughter of sorts,” Elena explained and then hopped on the feet. “Anyway, I hope by the time I am abroad the Avenger, the footage is permanently deleted and all of you pretend you never saw a thing.”

Still, Elena had a feeling people will now start throwing glances and whispering every time she and Mox would go anywhere together.

She turned off the channel and offered her hand to Mox.

“Let’s go, we still need to patch you up.”

Mox stood up with a grunt, yet his head no longer felt as if I was about to burst. In fact, he almost felt steady. Usually, Elena would let go of his hand, but this time her fingers interlocked with his. Mox squeezed her hand in return.

He noticed Elena smiling.

It still felt like a dream, but he didn’t mind as long as stayed together.

(1) Dummy  
(2) If you do this again, I will kill you myself

\-------


End file.
